Printify Review: Is It Actually Worth It for Your Print-on-Demand Business?
If you're looking to start a print-on-demand business without touching inventory, Printify is probably on your radar. With over 10 million sellers using the platform, it's one of the biggest names in POD. But is it actually good, or just popular?
I've dug into the platform, compared pricing, and looked at what real users are saying. Here's the honest breakdown.
What Is Printify?
Printify is a print-on-demand platform that connects you with a network of print providers around the world. You design products, list them on your store, and when someone buys, Printify routes the order to a printer who handles production and shipping.
The key difference from competitors like Printful: Printify doesn't do the printing themselves. They're essentially a middleman connecting you with dozens of independent print shops. This has major implications for both price and quality consistency.
Printify Pricing: What You'll Actually Pay
Printify offers three plans:
Free Plan
- No monthly fee
- Up to 5 stores
- Unlimited product designs
- Standard product pricing
- Access to all design tools and integrations
Premium Plan - $29/month ($24.99/month billed annually)
- Up to 10 stores
- Up to 20% discount on all products
- Priority support
- Faster production times
Enterprise Plan - Custom Pricing
- For stores with 10,000+ orders per day
- Unlimited stores
- Custom integrations
- Dedicated account manager
Here's the real math: If you're selling around 15-20 items per month, the Premium plan's 20% discount basically pays for itself. Below that volume, stick with the free plan.
For a deeper dive into actual product costs, check out our Printify pricing breakdown.
Product Selection: This Is Where Printify Shines
Printify offers over 850+ customizable products across categories like:
- T-shirts and apparel (Bella Canvas, Gildan, etc.)
- Hoodies and sweatshirts
- Mugs and drinkware
- Phone cases
- Tote bags
- Home decor items
- Stickers and accessories
The product range goes beyond typical POD offerings. You'll find items like watch bands, pajama bottoms, and even pet products that many competitors don't stock.
Print Quality: The Catch
Here's where things get complicated. Since Printify works with dozens of different print providers, quality can vary significantly. The popular Bella Canvas 3001 t-shirt, for example, might look different depending on which printer fulfills your order.
Users consistently report that print quality differs from one provider to another. The platform shows provider ratings, which helps, but you really need to order samples before committing to a supplier for your main products.
This is Printify's biggest trade-off: you get lower prices and more options, but you sacrifice the consistency you'd get from a platform like Printful that controls their own production.
What's Actually Good About Printify
Lower Prices
Let's talk numbers. A Bella Canvas 3001 on Printify runs around $8.57 (with Premium) plus $4 shipping - roughly $12.57 total. The same shirt on Printful is closer to $16.94. That's a significant margin difference when you're trying to price competitively.
Easy-to-Use Interface
The product editor is genuinely user-friendly. You can publish listings to your store efficiently, and the mockup generator helps visualize designs on products quickly. Real users report creating over 100 listings in less than two weeks.
Key tools include:
- Product Creator for quick design uploads
- Mockup Generator with custom backgrounds
- AI Image Generator (15 free generations daily)
- Shutterstock integration ($0.99 per sale for premium images)
Multiple Print Provider Options
This platform allows you to select the most suitable supplier for each product, rather than being restricted to a single printer. You can compare prices, shipping times, and ratings to find the best fit for your business.
Order Routing
Printify's automatic order routing sends orders to printers near your customers, reducing shipping times and costs. This is genuinely helpful for international selling.
What Sucks About Printify
Quality Inconsistency
This is the big one. Sometimes print quality varies between providers, so it takes a few trials to find the perfect match. You're essentially doing quality control work that other platforms handle internally.
No Phone Support
Printify offers 24/7 live chat and email support, but no phone support. Some users report slow response times, and the live chat can get congested during busy periods.
Shipping Time Variability
Shipping times can fluctuate depending on the print provider, which makes managing customer expectations challenging. For US orders, delivery typically takes 2-8 days, but international can stretch to 3-30 days.
Limited Platform Integrations
Printify integrates with major platforms like Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce, and Wix, but some platforms like Squarespace aren't supported. If you're using Squarespace, you'll need a workaround or different POD provider.
Who Should Use Printify
Printify is ideal for:
- Sellers who prioritize profit margins over convenience
- Those willing to test samples and vet print providers
- Multi-store operators (especially on Premium)
- Etsy sellers looking for lower base costs
- Anyone starting out who wants a free plan with full features
Skip Printify if:
- You want guaranteed consistent quality without sample testing
- You need phone support for your business
- You're using Squarespace as your primary platform
- You'd rather pay more for a hands-off experience
Printify vs Printful: Quick Comparison
This is the question everyone asks. Here's the short version:
- Printify: Lower prices, more product options, quality varies by provider
- Printful: Higher prices, more consistent quality, better UI
For a detailed breakdown, read our Printify vs Printful comparison.
Is Printify Legit?
Yes, Printify is absolutely legitimate. They've been around since 2015, have over 10 million sellers, and are backed by real funding. They recently merged with Printful, which should only strengthen their position in the market.
We've covered this question in depth in our Is Printify Legit article if you want more details.
The Bottom Line
Printify hits a sweet spot between value and flexibility. You'll get some of the lowest product prices in the POD industry, a massive catalog to choose from, and tools that actually work well.
The trade-off is clear: you need to invest time choosing and testing print providers to ensure quality. If you're willing to do that work, Printify can give you better margins than most competitors. If you want someone else to handle quality control, look elsewhere.
For most sellers starting out, the free plan is more than enough. Once you're consistently hitting 15-20 orders per month, upgrade to Premium and pocket that 20% discount.
Looking for Alternatives?
If you're building out your POD tech stack, you might also want to explore:
- Spocket - for dropshipping alongside POD
- Canva - for creating your designs
- Squarespace vs Shopify - choosing your storefront